Latest Aaron Judge update will give Yankees fans a glimmer of hope

With the New York Yankees in free-fall mode, the fanbase has received yet another positive update regarding the status of injured star outfielder Aaron Judge.

The New York Yankees have looked lifeless since Aaron Judge crashed through the right field fence at Dodger Stadium and smashed his right big toe on exposed concrete in June, which tore a ligament. Since their return from the All-Star break, the Yankees have gone 1-4 and have sole possession of last place in the AL East.

While the fanbase might be getting sick and tired of hearing the positive outlook from manager Aaron Boone, the team is still over .500 and in postseason contention. But, given the play recently, it’s hard for a fan to have any confidence, especially with how anemic the bats have been since Judge’s injury.

Recently, Judge had been participating in pre-game warmups, testing out his right big toe. He notably participated in batting practice. But there was another substantial update on Wednesday.

Ahead of the Yankees’ series finale against the Los Angeles Angels, Judge was spotted running the bases for the first time since his injury. The video below comes courtesy of MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.

Aaron Judge was spotted running bases ahead of Yankees-Angels game on Wednesday

This certainly looks like a promising update regarding Judge. But, a firm timetable for a return is still unknown.

Before Tuesday’s game against the Angels, manager Aaron Boone said that Judge is “close” to returning, but said, “Whether that’s days from now or weeks from now, I can’t answer it.” Boone cited that Judge has to “get through those final hurdles where he can really do things that allow him to play in the major leagues.” These quotes come courtesy of the New York Post.

The Yankees have been dreadful since Judge was hurt. As The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner points out, they scored 4 or fewer runs in 24 games and put up 5 or more runs in 12 games since Judge’s injury. When they were unable to score more than four runs, the Yankees were 6-18. As for when they scored more than four runs, the Yankees were 9-3.

On the year, Judge recorded a .291 batting average, a .404 on-base percentage, a .674 slugging percentage, 19 home runs, 40 RBI, 42 runs scored, and 51 hits in 175 at-bats through 49 games.

New York will look to avoid a series sweep against the Angels to try and regain some ground in the AL East and AL Wild Card standings. But with the way the offense has looked, especially after the break, that could be a chore. Yankees fans will continue to hold out hope that Judge can return at some point to help the team get back on track.